UFC 196: Conor McGregor vs. Nate Diaz; The Day After The Night

Hypothetically speaking, it’s the day after the night of the then-highly anticipated Conor McGregor vs. Nate Diaz welterweight clash. What happens thereafter?

First off, a little ramble: Maybe I’m getting a bit ahead of myself here—in MMA, anything’s possible; DQ, no-contest and even a draw. Of the aforesaid, a draw is the most indecorous. In a fight of this magnitude, entertaining such a thought would be tantamount to sacrilege.

I’ll put my house on it; by the nights end, one of these two trash-talking bad boys is going to be assuming a prone/supine position, or McGregor will find himself entangled in one of Diaz’ slick submission moves.

Rambling done; had to get that off my chest.

Conor McGregor (Esther Lin/MMA Fighting)

“The Notorious:”

The current 145 lb. czar who moved up two weight classes, yet again befuddled the masses; starching Diaz in the opening stanza, and to boot, in spectacular fashion—as he said he would, courtesy of “Mystic Mac” and his crystal ball.

At this point, the world is his oyster (when was it never?), and he’s also cemented his status as the “Game”. You know what? After that monumental performance, I see a McGregor belt in the offing (that’s parallel universe type thinking). All the same, the 27-year-old now holds the aces of spades.

So what happens thereafter?

Will McGregor *(20-2 MMA, 8-0 UFC) wait for Rafael dos Anjos to recover from his foot injury, thus granting the Brazilian a second chance at defending his lightweight strap?

Will he drop back down to his own division and give Jose Aldo his much-desired rematch? Failing that, how about giving an “Answer” to Frankie Edgar?

And finally, will he ascend towards the stacked welterweight division to duke it out with the “Ruthless” one; 170-pound champion Robbie Lawler?

I’m no “Mystic Mac.” A crystal ball I have not. And one thing’s for sure, I don’t possess that inimitable all-seeing eye either.

Nevertheless, my gut feeling steers me in the direction of Lawler. Let’s be honest, as things stand, he’s the “Money Fight” for McGregor.

Nate Diaz (Dave Mandel/Sherdog)

209 Son:

Can you believe it? The no. 5 ranked lightweight in the world shocked the MMA stratosphere; rocked it to its very foundations. In an astonishing turn of events, the Stockton brawler forced McGregor to tap out via keylock, thus turning the UFC on its head; Dana White’s included.

With only eleven days’ notice to prepare, Diaz, in one fell swoop of submission ingenuity, Diaz *(19-10 MMA, 14-8 UFC) finally brought a shuddering halt to the McGregor train.

And if you thought “The Notorious” had the Zuffa-based promotion on lockdown, well get a load of this: not only did the 30-year-old Diaz just hand the company’s money-making machine, star attraction and fugleman a dead man’s hand; aces and eights. He now gets the keys to that enviable Bugatti Veyron, to drive wherever he so pleases; riding shotgun is a thing of the past for this homie.

So what happens thereafter?

Will he give McGregor a rematch?

Will he return to his home; the 155 weight class, and frog jump McGregor for a tilt at dos Anjos’s lightweight belt?

Will he stay at 170 (for a short while) and test the division’s waters, as in Stockton slap his way to an immediate title shot against “Ruthless?”

Diaz has three mouth-watering money fighting prospects staring him slap bang in the face. Nonetheless, my business acumen (or lack thereof) suggests there’s only one trajectory for Nathan Donald Diaz to take; the money-coated road leading to the inveterate greenback-spinning Irishman, one Conor Anthony McGregor.

About The Author

Nedu graduated from London Metropolitan University and has a Bachelor's Degree in Creative Writing and Media Studies.
He is a fervent freelance writer/blogger and a wordsmith provocateur. His hobbies/interests are centred on MMA, Boxing, Football, Current Events and the Arts. He’s also a keen roller skater and marshals for the LFNS (London Friday Night Skate).
"Political language -- and with variations this is true of all political parties, from Conservatives to Anarchists -- is designed to make lies sound truthful and murder respectable, and to give an appearance of solidity to pure wind".
- George Orwell